Frank Lopez, co-head, global capital markets practice, Paul Hastings

Paul Hastings continues to build out its corporate capabilities with the addition of Frank Lopez, co-head of Proskauer Rose's global capital markets practice.

Lopez, a longtime Proskauer partner and an executive committee member, joins Paul Hastings as the new co-head of its global capital markets practice, working alongside Michael Zuppone, and as a partner in its leveraged finance group in New York.

The move comes just weeks after the other co-leader of Proskauer's global capital markets group, Philippa Bond, joined Kirkland & Ellis in Los Angeles along with 19 other Proskauer attorneys. The group included Monica Shilling, who was co-head of its private equity group, and Proskauer's West Coast corporate and securities practice leader Michael Woronoff.

Proskauer had no immediate comment on the move.

Lopez has represented investment banks, sponsors and issuers on domestic and cross-border buyouts, refinancings, recapitalizations and equity and debt capital markets transactions. Since joining the firm in 2004, he worked to develop Proskauer's capital markets practice with a particular focus on IPOs and high-yield bond work.

He's also worked with underwriters, initial purchasers and deal managers including Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Lazard, and UBS Group AG, among others. In 2009 he represented sole underwriter Citi on tax-exempt bonds issued by the New York City Industrial Development Agency for the completion of the New York Mets stadium, Citi Field.

“I have been impressed with Paul Hastings' growth in leveraged finance and capital markets,” Lopez said in a statement. “I am looking forward to working with lawyers across the firm and helping to build on Paul Hastings' strong investment banking relationships.”

Lopez was not immediately available for comment about his move.

“We've built market-leading leveraged finance and capital markets practices across our global network through developing our people and adding top-tier talent like Frank,” said Seth Zachary, chairman of Paul Hastings.

Lopez's addition comes on the heels of several high-profile lateral hires for Paul Hastings, whose gross revenue climbed 9.1 percent to $1.22 billion in 2018.

The firm began the year adding Joyce Xu, the head of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's derivatives practice, as a partner in its securities and capital markets practice in New York. It also added M&A partners Bill Choe and Jason Rabbitt-Tomita from White & Case and former Morrison & Foerster private equity partner Alex Kaufman in Palo Alto, California.

Earlier this month it added Steptoe & Johnson anti-corruption and white-collar partners Matt Herrington and Tom Best in Washington, D.C.